Jesse graham and harry chapman



(No Model.)

J. GRAHAM & H. CHAPMAN.

MINBRS SAFETY LAMP.

No. 517,520. Patented Apr. 3, 1894.

UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JESSE GRAHAM AND HARRY CHAPMAN, OF MORLEY, ENGLAND.Y

MINERS SAFETY-LAM P.

SPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 517,520, dated April 3,1894. Applica-H011 ed October 7, 1893. Serial No. 487,452. (No model.)Patented in England April 10, 1893, No. 7,286.

To all whom it may concern:

, Be it known that we, JEssn GRAHAM and HARRY CHAPMAN, subjects of theQueen of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at Morley, 1n the county ofYork,England, have invented certain Improvements in the Method ofLighting Miners Safety-Lamps, (for which we have obtained Letters Patentin England, No. 7,286, dated April l0, 1893,) of which the following isa specification.

This invention relates to improvements in lighting miners safety lamps,and has for its object the construction of certain portions ot' thelamps in such a manner that they can be lighted when required after thelamps have been locked and sealed and thus obviate the necessity ofhaving to light the lamps before locking and sealing and keep themburning some time in readiness for the miners entering the pit, therebyto effect a saving in oil and make it unnecessary to send a lamp out ofthe mine for lighting should it be extinguished.

In order that our invention may be fully understood,we will describe thesame in detail by making reference to the accompanying drawing of aminers safety lamp shown partly in section for the purpose of moreclearly illustrating the novel parts of our invention.

The lamp casing A is of the ordinary construction, the oil vesselB beingsecured and supplied with oil and wick in the ordinary manner.

In a recess formed in the burner tube B', we secure a carbon O in such amanner that a good electrical contact is made with the burner or Wicktube B. The top of the said carbon projects a short distance above thetop of the burner or wick tube B and wick W' therein, and near to thesaid burner is another carbon D held by a vertical metallic spring E,mounted on the oil reservoir or vessel B, and insulated therefrom at thebottom so that there is no metallic connection between the spring andother portions of the lamp, except with the sliding bar or bars Gsupported by insulating material at F. F. and extending to the outsideof the lamp casing.

Upon a table of non-conducting material,

we secure a hollow bracket J. provided with an india rubber or otherHexible washerK in the position shown.

In the interior of the said hollow bracket are mounted in a horizontalposition two metallic spindles L and L insulated from the bracket at Mand connected together by insulating material at N. so that no flash canbe got by making a metallic connection between the spindle Land bracketJ. In the vertical portion of said hollow bracket is placed a verticalmetallic spindle O, insulated from the bracket at Oand kept in metalliccontact with the horizontal spindle L by spring P. connected by a wireQ. to one pole of an accumulator or'dynamo. The hollow bracket J isconnected .to the, other pole of the accumulator or dynamo by wire Q.and on placing the lamp in the position shown, in contact with theflexible washer K. the latter is compressed to an extent that, ametallic portion of the lamp is brought in contact with the hollowbracket at R. and an air tight chamber S formed where the outsideconnection of the other p ole is made for com- "the direction of thearrow, and forcing the sliding bar or bars G in contact with themetallic spring E. bending the latter in the direction that, the currentis allowed to pass from carbon D to carbon C. By the said carbons beingbrought near together and the current'allowed to pass, they become hot,the carbon C converting the oil absorbed from the wick into gas, whichis ignited by an arc light or sparks passing from carbon D to carbon Con the release or withdrawal of the horizontal spindles L and L', thuslighting the wick of the lamp' after the latter is locked and sealed.The circuit through the lamp is accomplished by arranging the current topass from spring P up vertical spindley O to the spindle L. then throughsliding bar or bars G. to the vertical metallic spring E. and carbon D.returning through carbon C down tube B and metallic portion of lamp tothe point at R. where the lamp is in metallic contact with the hollowbracket J. to which the negative wire Q is connected.

As will be readily understood by persons skilled in the art ofelectricity, our object may be accomplished by dispensing with thecarbons C and D. and other electrical con- IDO ductors utilized, thelighting of the Wick WV of the lamp being effected on the operation ofthe spindles L and L. by an arc light or series of sparks passingbetween the electrical conductors mounted substantially in the samemanner as the carbons C and D.

By forming an air tight compartment S by a iiexible Washer K or the likeWhere the cnrrent is completed; lamps may be lighted in the mine in themanner as before described and all danger of an explosion obviated bythe coniinement of any flashing or sparkling between L and G Within theair tight space S.

What We claim as our invention is 1. In combination in a miners safetylamp,

'the burner, the electric lighting means arranged adjacent thereto, thecontact piece carried by the lamp, the air tight chamber in which thecontact is located, the circuit connections leading from a suitablesource and the means for closing the circuit at the contact Within theair tight chamber whereby sparking will not cause explosions,substantially as described.

2. In combination, in a ininers safety lamp, the burner, the electriclighting means arranged adjacent thereto, the chamber S carried by thelamp and the contact piece Gr eX- tending into the same, substantiallyas described.

3. In combination in a miners lighting ap paratns, the burner, theelectric lighting means arranged adjacent thereto, the chamber S carriedby the lamp, the contact therein, the electric circuit, the brackethaving the movable contact L, and the flexible Washer K on said bracketarranged to be borne upon by the chamber S, substantially` as described.

it. In combination in a miners lighting apparatus, the burner, theelectric lighting means arranged adjacent thereto, the electric circuitconnections, the bracket having the movable contact L, the flexibleWasher K and the contact point R, the contact carried by the lamp andthe chamber S also carried by the lamp and arranged to contact with theWasher K and with the contact point R to close the circuit at thispoint, substantially as described.

5. In combination in a miner-s safety lamp, the burner, the electriclighting device, the contact piece and the chamber S containing thesaine, the Walls ot' said chamber being adapted to form part ot thecircuit, snbstantially as described.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification inthe presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

JESSE GRAHAM. HARRY CllAPh'lAN.

WVitnesses:

JNO. Gini., WM. Pansr.

